The minister responsible for radio in the UK, Margot James, has resigned and voted against the government as part of efforts to stop parliament being suspended.
She had been the Minister for Digital and Creative Industries since January 2018, taking over the job from Matt Hancock when he became Culture Secretary.
Today’s vote in the House of Commons saw Margot James and 16 other Conservative MPs vote against their own party to ensure that parliament has a say on a No-Deal Brexit. The government was defeated by 41 votes in its efforts to allow the incoming Prime Minister to be able to suspend Parliament.
Ms James has been heavily involved in recent debates in the Commons about local radio and only this week put forward legislation that will enable the licensing of small-scale digital radio multiplexes.
Listen to Margot James talking to RadioToday at the Radio Festival in May:
Am I the only one who didn’t know we even had a Minister for Radio? Clearly doing a steller job what with Global and Bauer gobbling up radio stations and making local commercial radio almost history.
It wasn’t her legislation. Ofcom had the powers to reduce localness on radio given to them in the Communications Act 2003 by the Blair Government.
The takeovers are regulated under the Enterprise Act 2002 (brought in by the same Government).
And what exactly was stopping the last 2.5 Tory governments from revoking those powers?
It is just as well that we have Mb23 around to educate us.
Mr Boltar makes a good point regarding the Minister for Radio’s role being very low profile. Like Mr Boltar, I was unaware of the existence of a Minister for Radio. No doubt, Mb23 will be outraged at my ignorance.
Is educate the same as bore?
A Minister For Radio? I didn’t know there was one. So is this the minister who had oversite of the dreadful toothless regulator that is OFOM. I’m glad she’s gone in that case. Bring in someone with guts and determination to turn around the mess that is UK commercial radio thanks to OFCOM, Bauer and Global (yes they do seem to go hand in hand).
I didn’t know we had a minister for radio . What other minister’s do we have we don’t know about?
Apparently we have had a few Prime ministers lately although you’d be forgiven for not knowing it!